Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- English Language Proficiency. [NMTs] must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, of this part.
- Certification. All applicants must be certified in nuclear medicine technology by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT) (N). NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification eligibility requirements are normally satisfied by one of the following: (1) Completion of a NMTCB-recognized nuclear medicine technology program, OR (2) Completion of a nuclear medicine technology program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), or other accrediting agencies as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), culminating in a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or master's degree. Educational programs must have structured clinical training sufficient to provide clinical competency in radiation safety, instrumentation, clinical procedures, and radio-pharmacy, as deemed acceptable by the NMTCB. NOTE: Technologists functioning as multi-modality technologists require additional specific certifications as stated in assignment descriptions below. Exceptions. Non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate NMT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a)(1)(D). Failure to obtain certification within 1 year from the date of appointment is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This may result in termination of employment.
Grade Determinations:
GS-5: Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-7:
Experience:
Certification, as described in the basic requirements above, and completion of 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, directly related to the position to be filled (i.e., experience that demonstrates possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics needed to provide nuclear medicine technology services at that level) is required. OR
Education:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a major field of study related to nuclear medicine technology.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university unrelated to nuclear medicine technology that included or was supplemented by at least one of the following: At least 30 semester hours (or at least the same number of hours required by the educational institution for a major field) of directly related, upper-level undergraduate courses (for example, at least 200-course level or higher, or as identified by the college or university) for the nuclear medicine, or one full year of graduate level coursework (typically at least 15-18 semester hours) for nuclear medicine technology; or Directly related practicum/internship in the nuclear medicine, either included in the degree or post-degree; or Directly related certification/licensure/registration for nuclear medicine technology.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with an exemplary academic record as demonstrated by at least one of the following: GPA 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum or Election to Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society: Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and, or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations [that pertain to nuclear medicine technology practices.]
- Knowledge of the medical sciences such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and physics and how they relate to the cardiovascular, skeletal, endocrine, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems of the human body.
- Knowledge of radioactive package types, package surveys, and radioactive materials record management.
- Ability to independently use and interpret Geiger-Mueller meter.
GS-9 Experience: Completion of 1 year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position to be filled (i.e., experience that demonstrates possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics needed to provide nuclear medicine technology services at that level) is required.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Ability to document excessive radiation exposure in the working environment.
- Knowledge of medical events requiring documentation and the ability to properly document them and make recommendations to the radiation safety officer (RSO).
- Ability to communicate orally and in writing post iodine-131 therapy radiation safety precautions.
- Ability to troubleshoot gamma camera and auxiliary equipment problems.
- Ability to analyze computer generated data for technical quality and artifacts and initiate corrective measures.
Preferred Experience: Experience in performing specialized/complex imaging procedures, such as rest and stress myocardial perfusion, hepatobiliary, hemangioma, lasix renal, captopril renal, brain, cisternogram, tumor, oncological, infection studies, SPECT/CT, PET/CT and advanced therapies. Experience in assisting supervising Physician, Physician Assistant, in the cardiac stress lab while performing exercise or pharmaceutical stress exams associated with myocardial perfusion imaging. History of conducting specialized/complex procedures may require administration of interventional drugs, such regadenoson, adenosine, lasix, cholecystokenin, SSKI, glucola, and other drugs, under the supervision of a physician/physician assistant and using special techniques for administering radiopharmaceuticals.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-9.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.